Farmer Foster Fail
A week after my wedding I moved from California to Texas… and the only people I knew in Fort Worth were my husband and our realtor. I was pretty nervous, and terrified of being lonely, but Dylan and I decided that it would be smart if we waited at least 6 months to get a dog so we could travel. About 7 minutes after that decision I stumbled upon “Sunny” on the Doodle Rock Rescue facebook page. Sunny was a “75lb, female, Labrador” who was scheduled to be euthanized in 2 days if no one could foster her.. Sunny also had the same name as my childhood golden retriever of 14 years... which I basically interpreted as Jesus telling me to foster this dog. Approximately 7 minutes and 1 ugly-cry phone call to Dylan later and we were the official foster parents for Sunny.
My dad and I picked Sunny up the next day at a Taco Cabana half way to San Antonio… where we discovered the “75lb, female, Labrador” was actually a “25lb, male, mutt” he was terrified, emaciated, refused to look me in the eye, and was the saddest shell of a dog I had ever seen. That night I gave him a bath and cried when I realized he kept putting his head in the corner because he was trying to get as far away from me as he could.
As an animal lover, it was so hard to see a dog be truly afraid of me, but my mother-in-law assured me this was normal and encouraged Dylan and I to be patient. Slowly but surely, Sunny started to show more of his personality… he no longer flinched when I pet him, he learned to walk on a leash with Dyl, and after 1 week we got our first tail wag. It was at that moment that I decided I had to find a way to keep this dog and convince my husband that he was essential to our happiness.
I had a long talk with Leigh from Doodle Rock Rescue, who offered to override the “no foster adoption” policy due to the fact that Sunny was SO emotionally broken, they were worried he wouldn’t be able to handle a new home. So, I quickly purchased all the Denver Broncos and American themed dog clothes I could find, and began a full PR adoption campaign. To his credit, my husband held out for about 3 weeks… and then promptly gave in after sunny started a brilliant habit of watching Dylan leave for work and standing at the window until Dylan’s car was out of eyesight (power-move).
A month after sunny came into our house, we signed the adoption papers and BARLEY FARMER became an official foster fail. I can honestly say that adopting a dog and watching him transform from a stray to a family member has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Barley brings us endless joy, and if I love my future children half as much as I love this dog, I’m going to be mom of the year. If you live in the DFW area and are looking to rescue a dog (speficially a lab breed) I highly encourage you to get in touch with Doodle Rock Rescue. If you live ANYWHERE else, please check out your local shelters or rescue groups before buying from a breeder. You may just find a little diamond in the ruff (get it) like we did.
And for everyone who is wondering why our “lab” is under 30 pounds… we got a DNA test (thanks mom)… and he’s actually 1/4 Labrador, 1/4 Chihuahua, 1/4 Springer Spaniel, 1/8 German Shepherd, and 1/8 Chow Chow. He’s basically a unicorn mix that makes him a permanent 5 month old lab straight from the streets of San Antonio.
Happy Adoptaversary Barles... Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon! #whorescuedwho
